Bolton’s David Wheater will be out for nine months with a knee ligament injury, in the latest setback for Owen Coyle’s strugglers.

The Trotters' bad luck this season continued when scans revealed that the centre half had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while making an apparently harmless clearance against West Brom.

Astonishingly, Wheater tried to play on for a few minutes before limping off at half-time.

Wheater will need an operation and is likely to be missing well into next season.

Coyle and his relegation-threatened men will now draft Zat Knight cinto the side for Sunday's must-win showdown at Stoke.

A club statement read: "Scans have revealed that David Wheater has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"The defender picked up the injury when he landed awkwardly during yesterday's home game against West Bromwich Albion.

"He is expected to be out of action for up to nine months."

Wheater joins a sickening list of casualties for Bolton, who have been without Stuart Holden for all but one game this season, only got Chung-Yong Lee back at the weekend after a 10-month lay-off and saw Fabrice Muamba's campaign ended by his on-pitch cardiac arrest in March.

The setback is also a personal blow for Wheater, who has been a regular in Coyle’s team.

His loss will also force Bolton to spend in the summer.

Knight is a free agent after the weekend and is likely to leave a club that sold centre-back Gary Cahill to Chelsea in January.